Previous owner informed that Teamac self-polishing poison paint was used in the last year. Boat is on the ground and I would like to roll another layer of antifouling on top of existing. There are a lot of self-polishing antifouling for sale , but how to choose the correct one, which will not kill the existing Teamac?
Newbie question - antifouling compartibility
- Thread starter Kostas Metaxas
- Start date
I’ve never heard of Teamac before, but looking at their website it seems like all their paints are traditional hard paints, not ablative. If you run your hand on the hull when it’s dry I presume you don’t get much colored powder off the paint?
I doubt any paint manufacturer will tell you it’s ok to go straight over an unknown variety of paint from a different manufacturer. There’s too much risk in those unknowns for bad compatibility. But if Teamac is just a traditional hard paint I’d probably just sand it all with 80 grit to rough it up then go over it with my choice of hard or ablative paint. That would be solidly in the “your mileage may vary” category though.
I doubt any paint manufacturer will tell you it’s ok to go straight over an unknown variety of paint from a different manufacturer. There’s too much risk in those unknowns for bad compatibility. But if Teamac is just a traditional hard paint I’d probably just sand it all with 80 grit to rough it up then go over it with my choice of hard or ablative paint. That would be solidly in the “your mileage may vary” category though.
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Then it is an ablative paint, designed to wear off. Follow @Davidasailor26's advice, light sanding with 80 grit followed by wiping down with a solvent to remove any dust, and then paint. That's the general process, always read and follow the instructions from the manufacturer.
But if it is ablative you’ll probably be best off going over it with an ablative paint. Hard paint over ablative is generally not recommended.
A vacuum sander is a great idea, a good system will reduce the toxic dust in the air. As for solvent, read the label on the paint can, it will tell you.
"Self Polishing" implies ablative to me. Mostly the biocide is copper although the marine paint industry is moving away from copper (And people are adding it to their clothing).
The usual procedure with ablative is to cover with different colors so that you can monitor the wear of the paint via show thru.
Not all locales permit ablative.
The usual procedure with ablative is to cover with different colors so that you can monitor the wear of the paint via show thru.
Not all locales permit ablative.
Paint manufacturers usually provide a compatibility list, some with their own products and some including their competitors.
Try contacting bottompaintstore.com. They have a compatibility chart on their site as well.
As for sanding - get a vacuum with a good filter. Vacmaster has one with a hepa filter. @dlochner did you saw a while back that your sander has a hepa filter? Get the full face respirator rather than the half. There's also filters made out of a 5 gallon bucket with water to capture a lot of the dust. Do put some water in the bottom of your shop vac so your not dumping pure dust into the trash for you or someone else to breath. This is one of the most harmful substances you'll encounter on a boat
As for sanding - get a vacuum with a good filter. Vacmaster has one with a hepa filter. @dlochner did you saw a while back that your sander has a hepa filter? Get the full face respirator rather than the half. There's also filters made out of a 5 gallon bucket with water to capture a lot of the dust. Do put some water in the bottom of your shop vac so your not dumping pure dust into the trash for you or someone else to breath. This is one of the most harmful substances you'll encounter on a boat
I use a Dust Deputy (Amazon Link) with a shop vac. The shop vac has a bag and a HEPA filter. This is a very effective system and affordable. Over time the Dust Deputy pays for itself as the expensive Shop Vac bags never fill up because it is so effective. It is a belt and 2 pair of suspenders approach. I often use in the basement when sanding, running the table saw, and general cleaning. What can I say, it works.
When sanding the bottom I do use an N95 mask and the Dust Deputy, sometimes the hose falls off the sander and there is a spray of dust. This happens because sanding the bottom occassionally puts one in an awkward position which causes the hose to detach. When the 5 gallon bucket gets close to full, it is emptied into a large garbage bag and placed in the trash.
The OP is from Latvia, I'm not sure if the Dust Deputy is available there, in which case the other suggestions for vacuum sanding will have to do.
It might be easier to pick the paint you want to use and ask that manufacturer if it will be compatible with what is on there. Antifouling paints aren't cheap and you don't want to waste your money applying something that won't adhere. If you can't find the answer you are looking for, you can always remove what you have and start over, then you know you'll be safe. That is not a fun job and if you pay someone to do it, it will be expensive. But, it could be expensive not doing it right and having to do it over too.
I agree. The technical support lines of the major paint manufacturers can be really handy for this kind of stuff. You want to make sure to get this right or you'll be sanding and repainting again very soon, which would suck.